Colors: Another Ronin Story
by Kitt Mouri
Summary: A RW fanfic in which a new enemy appears. Yet, new elements also show themselves to help the boys fight off this evil. New characters and surprises in store and maybe even a little drama. Will the boys have what it takes to save the world...again?
1. Chapter 1

**_Okay, this is a fic that I started YEARS ago! I never finished this one, either, but was happy that I could even find it. Ah well... I hope you like it._**

_For all those times you stood by me,  
For all the truth that you made me see,  
For all the joy you brought to my life,  
For all the wrong that you made right,  
For all the dreams you made come true,  
For all the love I found in you,  
I'm grateful for each day you gave me,  
You're the one who held me up, Never let me fall.  
You're the one who saw me through, Through it all...  
You were my faith when I was weak.  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak.  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see.  
You saw the best there was in me.  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach.  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed…  
I'm everything I am because you loved me. _

**Celine Dionne**

**Chapter 1: Reunion **

The battles had been fought. The war was now over. Talpa had finally been defeated and the Ronins were victorious. Yuli had rejoined his parents, bidding a fond farewell to the five young heroes that he had grown to admire and love.

Jammed in Mia's little red jeep, the remainder of the group made their way home, discussing the events of the past, and those of the future.

"Do you think he's really dead?" Kento asked.

"I hope so." Cye replied. "This is getting old."

"Yeah, but we can't really be sure." Sage added. "We thought he was dead before but he came back. If he comes back again we have to be ready for him. We can't let our guard down."

Cye sighed, dropping his chin in his palm. "I'm so tired of fighting." He thought. "Why does it have to be us anyway?"

A soft hand graced his shoulder. He turned to see Sage smiling at him.

"I know you don't like to fight, Cye. None of us do, really." He shrugged. "Except maybe Kento."

"HEY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, SAGE?" Kento yelled, punching Sage in his arm, knocking him into Cye.

"OUCH!" Cye yelped.

"I think you just proved what I meant, KENTO!" he returned, slamming his fist upon Kento's head, initiating a battle between the two.

"DON'T HIT ME!" one yelled.

"YOU SHOULD TALK!" the other shot back.

"Will you both just knock it off!" Rowen demanded from his seat in the front. "Geez! You'd think we had enough of fighting. Apparently not, the way you two a-…OOF!" he exclaimed as his head hit the dashboard after Kento and Sage kicked the back of his seat. Enraged, Rowen launched himself from the passenger seat and onto his two assailants. Cye tried to remain out of the battle but found it impossible as he was frequently struck by a stray arm or knee. Finally, he had taken all that he could withstand.

"Okay, that does it!" he said, finally joining the rumble.

Mia, for her part, allowed the boys their moment, stealing glances from the rear view mirror and chuckling at the sight. She glanced out the window, taking note of the white tiger running beside them. He had been keeping perfect stride with the vehicle during the entire trip. His strength and endurance never ceased to impress her.

Equally as impressive was the young man riding atop the great beast. His thick mane of ebony hair, tousled by the wind, and radiant blue eyes, challenging the very depths of the sea, made him quite the rider. He seemed to be one with the tiger as they traveled along the roadside. She smiled, inwardly. He seemed to be well enough, despite the great battle he had just participated in. For that, she was glad.

Stealing one final glance from the mirror, she granted the road her full attention as she and the rowdy bunch of troopers made their way home.

--------

"I can't wait to get something to eat." Kento said, as he leapt from the car. "Man, I'm starved."

"So what else is new?" Rowen asked.

Kento glowered at him, but found himself too hungry to formulate a response. "Yeah…well…whatever." He concluded.

The remaining boys made their way out of the car, while Ryo climbed down from his shaggy mount. He showed his appreciation to the tiger by giving him a thorough belly rub and an occasional scratch behind his ear. White Blaze growled his delight.

"C'mon, Ryo! I'm starvin'!" Kento shouted from the porch.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming." he shouted back. "You comin' or stayin', boy?"

The tiger yawned and stretched its snowy body across the grass. Ryo shrugged, but accepted his friend's desire. Finding his feet, he stood and joined his friends on the porch. Mia was fishing through her pockets, searching for her house keys.

"Ah. Here they are." she announced, withdrawing her keys. She slid the key into its slot and turned the knob. They had all just entered the house when…

"Mia!" a voice called.

Mia recognized the voice immediately. "Nara?" she called back.

A young girl appeared at the top of the staircase. She came running down the stairs with tears streaming down her cheeks. After her, three more girls appeared, following her lead. Upon reaching her, the first of the four girls greeted Mia with a warm and fierce embrace.

"Oh, Mia!" she sobbed. "Where were you? Where have you been? I had all of Japan out looking for you! What happened?"

"Oh…Nara." Mia began, stroking the girl's abundant hair. "I-…Ooohh!" she exclaimed as she was knocked over by the remaining females in their eagerness to see her.

"GEEZ, MIA! What happened to you? We've been looking all over!" one said.

"We were so worried, Mia! Are you okay?" another asked.

"Who the heck are these guys?" the last one said.

The girls looked at the five handsome boys. It was the first time that they had actually acknowledged their presence. Now that their existence had been established, they, too, wondered just who they were.

"Well,…" Mia started. "If you let me up, I can introduce you to them." They scrambled off of her and with a bit of assistance from the courteous young men surrounding them, arose to their feet. Rowen and Kento quickly moved to help Mia up.

"Thank you." she said. "Ladies. These young men are friends of mine. This," she said, gesturing toward Kento, "is Kento Shuu. And this is Rowen Hashiba. The person standing beside you, Nara, is Sage Date and beside him is Cye Mouri, and finally, Ryo Sanada."

"Ryo?" Nara asked.

"Yep." He replied, smiling.

She studied him for a moment, then shook her head lightly and averted her gaze from him. His smile widened a bit, but he said nothing further.

"Okay…" one of the girls said. "Anyway, I'm Yuriko Matsuri, but everyone just calls me Yas."

"I'm Ami Ujima." Another said.

"I'm Kristal Tomas."

"And I'm Nara Koji."

"Koji?" Kento asked, looking over at Mia. She smiled and nodded.

"Nara's my little sister."

A look of surprise overtook the faces of the five warriors. Sisters? The two women could not have been more unrelated, at least from first an appearance stand point. Like day and night, they were complete opposites. Mia's pearly white skin greatly contrasted to Nara's earthen brown. Her auburn hair was that of fine silk while her sibling's was likened to soft, dark cotton. Even her leafy green eyes were vastly dissimilar to the black, coal-like eyes of her sister's. About the only thing they did share was height and even there, Mia was granted a few inches over her.

"Well that was certainly rude of all of you." Ami said, crossing her arms. "Talk about indecency."

"It's okay, Ami." Nara said. "I'm used to those sort of responses from people. I'm Mia's adopted little sister. I was orphaned when I was very young. Get it?"

"We're terribly sorry." Cye said. "We didn't mean any disrespect."

"Yeah." Kento added. "It's just that you two don't look anything alike."

"IDIOT!" Rowen hissed, jabbing his elbow into Kento's side.

"You'll have to excuse him." Sage said. "Kento has a tendency to act without thinking."

"SHUT UP, SAGE!" Kento yelled, grabbing the blonde youth by the collar of his shirt.

Nara chuckled. "It's okay, really. Please let him go. I don't want anybody to get hurt on my account."

Kento looked at her for a moment before reluctantly releasing his victim. "It's only because she asked me that I'm letting you off, Sage."

"Mmmhmmm…" he replied.

"What an interesting bunch of people." Kristal commented. "I hope you all come over often. You may actually make life a little more interesting around here."

"True." Yas said, plainly. "Anyway, Mia. Where exactly have you been? And why are you with all these guys?"

"More importantly," Nara interrupted. "Where's Grandpa?"

----

The scene that followed Nara's innocent question made for a very quiet night. Tears were shed and embraces shared. Cries of sorrow and grief seemed to fill the household. Even Mia, who thought herself to be over the loss of her beloved grandfather, found herself weeping along with the others four. The guys could only watch and offer their sympathy to the mourning women. It hurt them to see them in this way, but it hurt just as much to know that they were powerless to relieve their hurt. They, with all their awesome powers, could protect the world from destruction and doom and yet they simply could not protect the hearts of the young women before them from the loss of one dear soul.

It was only when the grieving party left the house to visit the gravesite of their beloved that the silence was restored.

A quiet house was something that Sage usually welcomed, but this quiet was torturous. He sat on the couch, looking over a newspaper, though actually reading it was impossible. His focus was lacking and his mind was elsewhere. He sighed then neatly placed the paper on the couch beside him.

"Hey."

"Hmmm…" Sage responded, looking up to see Rowen standing over him. "Oh. Hi, Rowen."

"Couldn't read?" he asked, gesturing to the discarded newspaper.

Sage looked over at the item then sighed once more. "Couldn't concentrate." he replied.

"Thinking about what happened earlier?"

"Yeah,…I don't even know those girls and yet I can't help feeling bad for them."

"And Mia, too."

"Mmmm…yeah. I thought she'd be over it by now."

"Losing someone you love is something you never quite get over, Sage." Cye said, coming around the corner from the kitchen. "Sure the pain you feel lessens a bit, but it never fully goes away. Part of that sorrow will always remain with you, sometimes showing itself unexpectedly."

Both Sage and Rowen knew that he was speaking from experience. He had lost his father when he was very young. He didn't talk about it much, though when he did, one could tell that he still missed his father.

"Anyway," he began. "Supper is ready if anyone is hungry."

"Yeah, I can go for that right about now." Rowen said. "C'mon, Sage. Some food might actually help to get our minds off of everything."

"Maybe…" he replied, dragging himself from the couch.

"Sure it will. C'mon." The two exited the living room and made their way into the kitchen. His task of announcing dinner not yet complete, Cye made his way up the stairs and into the room that he shared with Rowen, Sage, and Kento to finish his job.

Kento was in the room, lying on his cot. His pillow was thrown over his head and his arms folded over his torso. Had he not known him better, Cye would have assumed he was sleeping.

"Hey, Kento!" he called. "Come and eat."

Kento raised the pillow from covering his face. "Thanks, man. But, I'm not really hungry."

Cye was momentarily speechless. "Not…hungry?" he repeated, walking into the bedroom. "Well that's not like you at all. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just not hungry right now. That's all." He replaced the pillow over his face and refolded his arms over his chest.

Cye was silent, once again. He analyzed the situation for a moment then began again. "Would you like me to save you a plate, then?"

"If you want." Kento replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Nonchalance isn't exactly like you either, Kento."

He raised the pillow from covering his face. With a cocky grin he replied, "Well, nagging is just like you, Cye."

Returning his smile, Cye replied, "And I'll keep nagging at you until I can get you out of this stuffy room and downstairs with the rest of us."

Kento studied him for a second, acknowledging the fact that any resistance on his part against his best friend would be futile. Pulling himself up from his reclined position, he sat perched at the edge of the bed. He yawned and stretched then finally arose and stood facing his companion.

"So…" he began. "What's for dinner?"

"You'll see when you get down there."

Kento pouted. "Here I crawl out of bed because of your whining and nagging and you won't even tell me what's for dinner?"

Smiling, Cye simply replied, "Sorry, Kento."

"If you were really sorry you'd tell me what's for dinner." Kento mumbled as he left the room. He had been gone but for an instant when his head popped back in the doorway. "Oh…thanks, Cye." he said, then dashed away and down the stairs.

Cye couldn't help but laugh inwardly at his moody friend. "At least he's not as down-hearted as before." he thought. A warm smile touched his lips as he set off to retrieve the final member of the group.

He walked down the hall to Ryo's room. The door was closed. Respecting his privacy, he gently knocked on the door. When he received no response he knocked again. Still no answer. His concern now peaked, he gingerly opened the door and peered into the room.

"Ryo?" he called.

It was dark. Not a single lamp was on. The only source of light came from the moon as it cast its silver moonbeams through the window and streaming onto…

"Ryo?" Cye repeated, softly, upon spotting him in the dim enclosure.

The dark-haired warrior sat huddled against the wall. His knees were drawn up against his chest while his arms were wound tightly around them. His head was down and his visage not visible beneath the mask of hair that covered it. Though not the first time he witnessed his leader in this condition, it was certainly something that Cye could never find himself accustomed to. He approached him hesitantly, mentally gathering the words and the strength to help ease the burden that was obviously weighing heavily on his troubled spirit.

"Ryo?" he said again, as he lowered himself beside him.

"…just go away, Cye. I don't want to talk right now."

"You know I won't do that. You're a friend, so I can't just leave you here like this."

"You don't understand. …please, just leave me alone."

"…no. I won't. Because this burden isn't only yours to bear. When one of his suffers, we all do. You know that." He turned to face him. "Ryo, I've been sad for far too long to keep being sad now. I don't want that, not for me or you or anyone else. That's why I'm here. To try and put an end to all this. I can't force you to tell me anything, nor would I want to. All I want is for you to know that we're here for you. Don't shut us out. Let us help you."

There was a long and uncomfortable pause. Nothing was said between them after that. Only the sound of two heartbeats echoed in the silence. Finally, the silence was broken, by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

"Well, that's Mia and Nara." Cye said. "I'm going to go down stairs, now. Supper is ready if you want it. You probably don't want any right now, so I'll leave a plate for you in the fridge. You can get it whenever you're ready."

He patted his shoulder lightly, then got up and departed the room leaving Ryo alone to his thoughts, whatever they were.

Though he wasn't happy with leaving Ryo the way he did, Cye felt that he had done the right thing. He hiked down the stairs just as Mia and Nara were entering the house. Sage, Rowen, and Kento were already at the door, assisting them with their jackets and inquiring about their condition. Mia did her best to assure them they were okay, but with Nara's withdrawn expression and lack of responses, Mia found her own words a little less than convincing.

"Nara, why don't you go upstairs and go to bed?" Mia suggested.

She shrugged. "I…I'm not really sleepy,…Mia." She choked on the last word. She lowered her head as she felt the sting of tears welling in her eyes.

"Uh…" Cye began, "Maybe you should just go and relax a bit, then. I could bring you a cup of tea if you want. It might help you to relax and may even help you feel a little better."

Nara managed a weak smile as she looked up at him. "Thank you. I guess that'll do. …ummm…Kento, is it?"

"Good Heavens, no!" he exclaimed. "I'm Cye. He…" he said, jabbing his thumb in Kento's direction, "…is Kento."

"You didn't have to say it like that, Cye." Kento grumbled.

"Aye, I did, Kento. Really I did."

Nara giggled, her first sign of emotional recovery she had displayed all night. Mia's heart rejoiced at her sister's happiness. It pained her to no end to see her in the depressing state that she was in. Sorrow was a characteristic that did not suit Nara. Hers was a soul filled with jubilance and joy. Pain and anguish had no place there.

She smiled as she watched her younger sibling climb the staircase, her spirit lifting with each step. She glanced over at the four boys gathered about her.

"Even without their mystical armor, they still hold an enchanting quality." She thought. "These boys, these…Ronin Warriors…"

The sound of something scratching at the door pulled her out of her silent reverie. Without even having to look, she knew who it was.

"White Blaze." She said, cheerfully, as she opened the door allowing the snowy feline in. The tiger greeted her by rubbing his massive body against her. The force of his affectionate display was so powerful that she nearly toppled over.

"Woah! Okay, White Blaze. I'm glad to see you, too." She laughed. The tiger growled, softly, then turned away. He stopped, suddenly, scenting something in the air. With ears perked, he quickly trotted away to the source of his interests.

"Odd." Sage mused.

"Do you think something's up?" Rowen asked.

Sage pondered the question for a moment before replying, "No."

Rowen shrugged, dismissing the event as irrelevant. "Anyway, Mia, maybe you should get some rest, too. You've been through a lot in the last couple of hours."

She briefly studied the faces of the four young men. There was a barrage of questions lying in the eyes of each one, though out of respect, they didn't voice their inquiries. She smiled, warmly, an unspoken sign of thanks for their courteousness.

"Thank you, Rowen. I'm alright, really. Besides, I haven't eaten anything since this morning and I smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. Did you boys eat already?"

Guiltily, Rowen, Sage, and Kento lowered their heads.

"Well," Cye began. "I haven't eaten just yet, Mia. That is, if you don't mind my company."

The other three troopers shot him a unified dirty look that he avoided noticing…or so it would seem.

"Why, thank you, Cye." she replied. "But I would also like the company of you all as well." she added, gesturing to the outcast trio. "There's a lot that needs to be said and I'd rather get it off my chest tonight than let it wait until morning."

The boys nodded their understanding and, with Mia, headed into the kitchen. Once there, Cye set about preparing two plates of food and a kettle of water for Nara's tea. Kento took out a chair and spun it around so that the backrest was facing him then dropped into the seat. Rowen pulled out a chair for Mia. She graciously accepted his gesture and sat down. He gently pushed her to the table then seated himself. Sage opted to stand. It was his habit to receive news, whether good or bad, on his feet.

Cye, having finished with the dinner plates, set one before Mia, then took a seat beside Kento.

"Thank you, Cye." Mia said. She took a deep breath, inhaling the wonderful scent of spices and fresh vegetables. "This looks great. Well…" she piled a bit of food neatly onto her fork, as eating with chopsticks was a skill that she never quite acquired. She tasted it and as always, found its taste most pleasing. "Cye, this is really wonderful. You have a great talent."

He blushed a bright crimson then replied, shyly, "Thank you, Mia."

She smiled at his modesty then began again. "Well, I'm sure you're all wondering just who Nara is and why she's here. Not to mention the…well,…her rowdy group of friends. I suppose I should start from the beginning.

"A long time ago, when I was a little girl, about eight or so, Mama and Papa decided to have another child. However, they found that that would be impossible as Mama contracted an illness that left her barren. Though devastated by this unforeseen tragedy, Mama and Papa still wanted desperately to have a child. So, they decided to adopt.

"When we came here, to Japan in the summer as we always did, they decided to checkout the local orphanage."

"Wait a minute." Kento interrupted. "Where were you at before?"

"That is hardly relevant to the story, Kento." Sage scolded.

"Sage?" Mia chided. "It's okay. My family was living in France, Kento. I'm half-French and half-Japanese. Mama, who's French, found it...difficult living in Japan, as the language was difficult for her to speak. So, before I was born, they moved to France and I was born there."

"So, you're a French citizen, then?" Cye asked.

"That's right. That's how I got my drivers' license. It perfectly legal for a person who's my age to own or operate a car in France. Hey, isn't it the same in England?"

"Yeah. That's how I got mine."

"But you're not yet, sixteen."

"They granted it to me under stipulations since I was leaving the country. I can't legally use it until I turn sixteen. Since my birthday fell between the grace period, they permitted me to receive it."

"Okay, that's enough about Cye." Kento said, pushing Cye away from him. "Let's get back to Nara and the gang."

"You were the one who got us off the topic, anyway, Kento."

"Yeah, well now I'm gettin' us back on it."

Cye let out an exasperated sigh, then decided to give his own food a little attention.

Smiling, Mia continued. "Where was I…oh! So Mama and Papa decided to adopt. They went to the orphanage and about a week later, came home with a little dark-eyed, brown-skinned girl that the orphanage had named, Nara."

"Hmmm…" Sage murmured. "But how in the world did a girl fitting that description end up in Japan? I mean, she isn't your typical Japanese girl."

"Well, that's the weird thing. No one knows exactly where she came from. She was found lying on a beach with no form of identification and no one else in sight. And what was more puzzling was that they found a salt in her hair that is only found in the oceans of the Atlantic."

"But that's nearly on the other side of the planet." Rowen said. "There's no way a girl, or anyone else for that matter could have made that kind of trip and survived."

"That's not true." Cye replied. "Many creatures have been carried on the currents of the seas for hundreds of miles and have survived."

"She's not an animal, Cye." Rowen added. "She was a little girl. And I just don't think that kind of journey is possible especially for someone that small."

"Were they sure that's where the salt was from, Mia?" Cye asked.

"Yeah. They did several tests confirming it."

"Hmmmm…" Sage murmured. They all turned to look at him, wondering what was going through his mind.

"Whatcha thinkin', Sage?" Kento asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking." he replied. "Anyway, what about her friends?"

"Oh. Well, Mama, Papa, Nara, and I always spent our summers here with Grandpa. Nara is such and outgoing and friendly person that she made friends with the local kids easily. But, her closest friends were and still are Kris, Yas, and Ami, though Ami came much later."

"Ami's not your average Japanese girl, either." Kento said.

"That's because Ami's from Africa. She came to Japan about a year ago, all by herself. She lives in a townhouse not too far from here, twenty minutes if you walk. She'll be studying illustration this year with Kitt and the girls. They'll be studying animation, though."

"Wow! They're all artists?" Kento asked, eagerly.

"Yes, and very good at it, too. They were actually awarded a study abroad scholarship last year. They've all been in New York these passed few months studying at one of the art schools there."

"Maybe they can draw a picture of me sometime."

"Why don't you give them a subject worth drawing, Kento." Cye said.

"Hey! He's worth drawing. If you're drawing a poster for a horror movie, maybe." Rowen added.

"That'd be a real scream. Everyone would be terrified before they even saw the movie." Sage finished.

The three mischievous boys laughed at their friend's folly until Mia called them to order.

"Alright you three!" she said. "That's enough! Stop picking on poor Kento. He is your friend, after all."

"Not the way they talk." Kento grumbled.

"Aww,…c'mon, Kento. You know we're just teasing you." Cye said, patting his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah. You know we couldn't get along without you." Rowen added.

There was a long silence as everyone waited for Sage to add a response to reassuring statements. When he offered none, they turned to look at him, once more. He shrugged, then said, "So what about the other two girls?"

There was a unified sigh among the group seated at the table.

"Oh, Sage." Mia said. She shook her head then returned to the question. "Well, Kris isn't exactly Japanese, either. She's from Spain. She came here for the same reasons that Ami did, to get a good artistic education."

"Did she come here by herself, too?" Rowen asked.

"No. She's actually here with her father and brother. Unfortunately, her mother died a long time ago." She sighed at the thought. "Finally, there's Yas. And she actually is Japanese."

"Wow! One out of four. That's not bad, considering how large Japan is." Rowen said, humorously.

"Rowen!" Mia exclaimed. He smiled in response. "Anyway. She lives with her father and mother near Ami's place. In fact, they're in the same neighborhood."

"Cool. Does Kristal live in their neighborhood, too?" Kento asked.

"No. She lives in a house like this one a little ways away from here. About ten minutes or so."

"Oh."

"And that's everyone. Ami, Yas, Kris, and Nara. They're all good friends and they're all good girls. …though they have their moments."

"It sounds like there'll never be a dull moment." Sage said.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, Sage." Cye replied.

"Yeah. We might actually get to enjoy ourselves for a change." Rowen added.

"Maybe even go on a date with one of the four pretty ladies." Kento said.

"Ahem!" Mia said, clearing her throat.

"…or not." Kento added, hastily. The other three boys chuckled, softly.

"That's more like it." Mia said, smiling at him. "Anyway, it's late and we should all get to bed right about now."

"Yeah, I'm ready to turn in." Sage said.

"Me, too." Rowen added with a yawn.

"Me, three." Kento added.

"I'll stay down here and clean up before I call it a night." Cye said.

"Oh, no, Cye." Mia said. "You go to bed."

"But…"

"No 'buts'! You cooked, I can clean. Go!" she said, pointing to the doorway.

With a smile, he scratched the back of his head and headed out with the other three. Mia gathered the two plates up from the table and set about cleaning the kitchen. She thought of the day's events as she did them.

"Oh, Nara. I know you'll get over this. You just need a little time before you're your old jubilant self again. And with the guys here, you'll be better in no time."

The sound of a whistling teakettle pulled her from her thoughts.

"Oh! Nara's tea."

----

Nara had managed to crawl up the stairs and into her room. The lights were off and she rather preferred it that way. She found her bed and dropped into it. The feel of the soft mattress against her tired form was very pleasing, though the scent was questionable. She sat up and brought the pillow to her nose.

"What's this?" she mused aloud. "Smells like…cologne? A guy has been sleeping in my bed?"

"Sorry, I didn't know it was yours." a voice said.

She gasped, audibly and turned to where the sound of the voice came from.

"Oh gosh! You scared me!" she said, her voice filled with relief. "…I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"Ryo." he said, plainly.

"Oh, that's right." She looked at him and then at the bed. "So you've been sleeping in my bed?"

"Yeah. I didn't know it was yours, though. It's the one Mia told me to use."

"Oh, so Mia's to blame, eh? I'll have to get her for it later."

He smiled, his first all night.

"Anyway," she began. "I don't mind. You can sleep in here if you want."

"No, no. If it's yours then you should have it."

"Not with it smelling like a football team, I won't." She smiled at him, despite the dimness of the surroundings. "Besides, I can sleep in Mia's bed. You certainly can't sleep in there."

He blushed at the notion, silently thanking the darkness for concealing his embarrassment. "Thank you." he managed.

Just then, the door slowly opened revealing the form of…

"Oh my gosh it's a tiger!" Nara exclaimed.

"Don't be afraid." Ryo said. "He won't hurt you."

"No, no…it's not that. It's just that he's beautiful. Come here, pretty tiger." she called.

Obediently, the tiger came to her. She crawled off the bed and draped her arms around his thick neck. He nuzzled her cheek with his dark, damp nose. She giggled as his touch tickled her.

"Okay, okay." she laughed. "So what's your name, pussycat?"

He growled at her.

"His name's White…"

"…Blaze." she finished.

Ryo blinked his amazement, then smiled. "Oh, yeah. I forgot you could do that." he said. "You could always talk to the animals when we were kids."

Nara turned to him. "Excuse me?" she asked.

His smiled widened. "You mean you still don't remember me?"

She shook her head.

"Lemme see if I can jog your memory." He closed his eyes in silent thought. Speaking with his eyes still shut he began. "There was an annoying little girl there that we took it upon ourselves to protect the other kids from. She used to pal around with Masaki and Niyoshi proclaiming to the world that she was the boss and that she ran things. Her name was…"

"…Kimoko!" Nara said, thoughtfully. "Oh my gosh, I remember that. Back at the orphanage." She chuckled, remembering the days in the establishment. She smiled at her ebony-haired friend of her youth. "Look at you. Little Ryo. Aawwwwww…"

She lunged at him, wrapping him in a bear hug. He laughed and hugged her back.

"And to think it took you all this time to recognize me." he said.

"Oh come on!" she exclaimed. "You don't look anything like the way you did when we were kids,…you were cute back then."

"Hey!"

"I'm just teasin' you." She looked at him, oddly. "Gosh! Who would have thought that that little boy would grow up to be the bearer of Wildfire?"

Surprise was written over his face. "How did you know that?"

"Mia told us about you and the others."

"Oh."

"So what happened to you after I left the orphanage?"

"Well, I found out that I wasn't an orphan after all."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It turns out that my father was still alive. He still is, actually, though I hardly ever see him."

"Why so infrequent?"

"He's a nature photographer. He's married to his work. I do see him once in a while, though."

"Oh. Well, how did you get out of the orphanage?"

"You make it sound like I was escaping from prison."

She smiled. "Oh the memories…"

He chuckled. "Anyway, my dad's mom, my grandmother, finally got news of what happened to me and took me in."

"That's nice."

"Yeah. She's cool. She actually has pictures from when I was little…and of my mother. It's all I have left of her now."

"Oh, Ryo. That's not true. She's still a part of you. She'll always be part of you."

"I know that, but it's not the same. I mean, there are times that wish I could just…just…reach out and hold her hand or give her a kiss goodnight. There are times that I think about her, but can't remember the sound of her voice or what she looked like. Having her here," he said, placing his hand over his heart. "…isn't the same as having her here." he added, gesturing to the room and the world that it represented. "I…I guess I'm afraid I'll forget her."

Nara didn't know what to say. She leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped herself around his arm.

"Ryo, you can't forget her." she whispered. "You love her too much for her to be forgotten. But I know how you feel. I was afraid of the same thing. But I know that I will never forget Grandpa. He played such an important role in my life. He was the only person in this whole world that understood me. He used to tell me that I was his special little fish, because of the way I was found washed up on shore. He would say that I was…I…was…" Finding it too difficult to speak any longer, she cried.

"Nara?"

She couldn't respond. Her sorrow had returned anew. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Don't cry, Nara." he whispered. "Crying won't bring him back. And I don't think he'd want you to be sad."

"But I miss him so much." she sobbed. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him."

"You'll do what you've been doing. You'll go on and be happy and do…whatever it is girls do. I don't know exactly what that might be, though."

She half laughed, half sobbed at his comment. "Silly." she choked. "You could always make me laugh."

"And what about you? You could always cheer me up whenever I was bummed out. You were always a good friend, Nara. I missed you when you left."

She held him, tightly. "As happy as I was to be adopted, part of me was saddened at the revelation of being parted from you." She chuckled. "And, yet, here we are. Again. Huddled in the corner in the moonlight like we used to do when were kids. You remember."

"Mmmhmm. When Kimoko and co. would tell one of the supervisors on us and we got…disciplined."

"It certainly wasn't funny then, but it kinda is, now."

"Maybe for you, but my butt is still sore from those days."

Nara let out a hearty laugh. "Sorry, Ryo." she said, still laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." he replied. "I should kick you out for that."

"Kick me out? It's my room!"

"Oh yeah. Well…never mind, then."

"Silly." she replied. She yawned, then, sighing, she snuggled against him and closed her eyes.

"Sleepy?" he asked.

"Yeah." she replied.

"Me, too."

White Blaze crawled behind them, serving as a most comfortable pillow.

"Thanks, White Blaze." Ryo said, already drifting asleep.

The tiger growled, then rested his head on his paws. He rarely slept, only catnapped, especially when Ryo slept. He always felt it his duty to guard and protect the house and its occupants. Tonight was just as any other night except that now he had an extra person to watch over.

Shortly after the two had fallen asleep, Mia peeked in with a hot cup of tea, though its uses were no longer needed. White Blaze looked up at her, then growled softly and reset his head upon his paws. She smiled at him and at the touching scene that lay about him. Safely in each other's arms, the two slept. Not a stir or a sound between them. Just a child-like tranquility.

She didn't fully understand the nature of their union, but she was sure that it was one of innocence. Setting the cup on a nearby table, she quietly entered the room and drew a blanket out of the closet. Silently, she walked over to the two sleeping figures and neatly set the blanket atop them. She knelt beside them and kissed them both, feeling as though she were a mother watching over her children.

"Goodnight." she whispered. "We'll talk about this in the morning."

----

Elsewhere, in darker part of the world, a dark figure sat in a dark abode looking into a mystical viewing apparatus that portrayed the scene that went on in Nara's room. As he sat, another figure approached him.

"Should we get her now, Lord?" the latter asked. "Her heart is weak from grief, she could be easily captured now."

"No. Sorrow is a very powerful emotion. It can change a person's entire demeanor, granting them attributes that aren't commonly owned by them. Better to wait, I think. An opportunity will present itself in the future. Until then, scout around. I want you to keep an eye on her. I want to know everything. I cannot maintain the viewing sphere much longer so I'm counting on you to keep me informed."

"Yes, Lord." the servant replied and dashed away. The man looked, once again, into the viewing sphere.

"I'll have her power. And once I have it everything will be mine…everything."

The sphere's power sputtered to its death on his final words, leaving nothing but darkness in its wake. "No matter. I will still have her. One way or another, she will be mine…she will be."


	2. Chapter 2

_Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest_

_Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth_

_Come roll in all the riches all around you_

_And for once, never wonder what they're worth_

_The rainstorm and the river are my brothers_

_The heron and the otter are my friends_

_And we are all connected to each other_

_In a circle, in a hoop that never ends_

**Stephen Schwarz**

**Chapter 2: Revelation**

The night ended giving rise to a glorious morning. The sun painted the sky with brilliant colors and warmed it with its glowing rays. The sweet kiss of sunlight awoke the sleeping flower buds. They unfurled from their slumber to greet the dawning of a new day. The birds filled the morning air with their song as they danced about the clouds. Even the sea itself shared in the song and dance.

Nara reveled in nature's chorus as she stood on the pier that overlooked a blue lake. She glanced toward the distance, seeing the house that she had just slept in the night before. One would only be able to speculate at its grandness from her vantage perspective. It was a considerable distance away and thus, seemingly smaller.

She sighed and turned back to the water. She untied a towel that had been wrapped around her thin body. It slid down her tiny frame, pooling around her ankles and leaving her with only a blue bathing suit covering her. A simple black necklace adorned her slim neck. It had a simple jewel on it that resembled one half of the yin & yang symbol. She touched it, absently, as she stepped out of the confines of her discarded towel. She walked to the edge of the pier and with a deep breath, she dove in.

The water was cool and yet warming at the same time. As it surrounded her body it engulfed her soul, filling it with a blissful calm that only it could bring. She swam in its depths relishing the sense of freedom that the water evoked. As she swam, an orca approached her, greeting her with its song.

"Suiki!" she greeted.

The great mammal swam around her, rubbing its body against her. She stroked its white underside. He spun around, delighted by her touch.

"Silly orca." she laughed.

In his orca tongue, which primarily consisted of clicks and whistles, he spoke to her.

"Find…Silver Hair…Eyes of Sea…?"

Nara's expression softened. "Well…we found Mia."

"…Silver Hair…?"

Nara suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

"…gone…?"

She nodded her head in response.

"…sad…water child…sad…" It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah,…Suiki. I am." she sobbed.

"…Suiki…love…Suiki…water child…"

Nara managed a weak, yet sincere smile. "I love you, too, Suiki." she replied, as she hugged him. "I love you, too."

He nuzzled her, gently, consoling her. He began to sing a song that had no lyrics, its melody saying more than words could ever convey. "The Song of Seas", Nara called it. It made the waters sing and the sea creatures dance. The aquatic plants swayed in sync to the tune. The very sea herself pulsated as her inhabitants danced and sang to the song that she knew all too well. When his song ended, he spoke again.

"Water child…come…"

"Where to?" she asked.

"…down."

She grasped his dorsal fin as he began their journey downward.

"…too fast…?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine." she replied.

They continued downward until they reached the floor of the lake. Using his sonar, Suiki searched the ground for something. Within seconds, he had found it. With Nara still securely attached to his fin, he swam to it.

"Here…water child…here…" he said.

"What's here, Suiki?" she asked, as the visibility was low at their depth.

"…map…key…" he replied.

"A map key?" she thought.

He began to dig in the ground with his large muzzle, disturbing the silt and debris that had been lying there. Though she couldn't see what he was doing, she could feel it through his movements.

"Suiki?" she asked.

"…here." With her hand trailing along his body for guidance, she made her way to the lake's surface. She felt along the ground, searching for whatever it was that Suiki had found.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, upon coming across something that was not consistent with the sandy bottom. "Suiki, is this it?" she asked.

"…yes." She pulled the object from the ground. Holding it securely in one hand, she sought out Suiki's dorsal fin with the other.

"Okay." she called.

He slowly started their ascent upward, mindful of the passenger he carried. "…too fast?" he asked.

"No, my friend. I'm fine."

Once they broke the surface, Nara took a moment to examine the object that they had found in the depths below. It appeared to be a stone tablet. On its face were four small symbols. A divided yin & yang symbol comprised two icons, a complex geometric shape resembling the sun made-up another, and a leaf with a rock centered in it made up the last one.

"Interesting." she thought. "Could this be ancient Japanese characters or maybe even hieroglyphics."

She studied the tablet closer noticing something peculiar about it. "These two kinda looks like my necklace." she observed. "That's odd. I- OH!" she yelped as Suiki shot a jet of air from his blowhole, tearing her from her thought.

"Oh, Suiki! You scared me!" she breathed.

"…not intended…" he replied.

She smiled and hugged him. "I know." she said.

She kissed the melon of his head and patted his muzzle. "It's time for me to get back, though. I should get there before everyone gets up and wonders where I went. Can you bring me closer to the house, please?"

"…yes…of course…"

Suiki brought her to the pier that was closest to the house. She thanked him and climbed onto the sturdy wooden scaffold. In her haste to get back to the house, she had forgotten her towel at the other pier. She hadn't intended to be out so long, but she also hadn't anticipated Suiki's discovery. With the tablet safely in her arms, she jogged to the house.

Halfway there, she caught sight of a figure standing on the front porch. His stunning blonde hair elegantly reflecting the sun's beautiful rays, surrounding him in a soft yet magnificent halo. An angel, by far. And a rather handsome one at that; perfect in almost every way,…almost.

Nara approached him like a nervous kitten approaching a hungry lion. He smiled at her and said, politely, "Good morning, Nara."

"Hi." she replied, returning his smile.

When she was close enough to see the features of his face, especially that single violet eye, she averted her gaze from his. Fully accustomed to the behavior that she displayed, he attempted to lighten the mood a bit.

"Early morning swim?" he asked.

She nodded, her eyes still downcast.

"Isn't it a bit cold for that?"

"No…not really. I don't mind it."

"Well I know I would." He noticed the stone tablet she clutched against her chest but didn't feel it his place to inquire about it. "Anyway," he began. "…you should probably get inside before you catch something.

She nodded curtly and bowed slightly before escaping into the house. He watched her leave, smiling at the entire episode.

"Strange girl." he thought, turning back to the porch banister. "There's something about her, though. I wonder…eh!"

There was a figure in the wood that neared the lake. Though it wasn't moving, Sage could definitely tell that something or someone was there. He kept his eye on the shadowed figure, not letting it out of his sight. It remained unmoving, then suddenly, it vanished.

"What!" he whispered.

He jumped down from the porch and walked over to the woods. He stood there, studying the area, searching it with his mind.

"Something was here." he thought. "Something dark and cold. I can feel it. Could it have been the dynasty? I hope not,…but still…"

Reluctantly, he turned and headed for the house. Whatever was there before wasn't there now. He didn't like that. Something was up, that was obvious. But what was it?

----

"Good morning." Cye said, cheerfully as Nara entered the house.

Startled by his presence and her in her indecent attire, Nara simply replied, "Hi."

"You're certainly up early." he said.

"Uh…well, so are you. Do all of you guys get up with the sun?"

He smiled and chuckled a bit. "An elegant way of putting it, but no. Only Sage and I are ever up this early. The others will be up later." He paused for a moment. "Would you like a towel or something?"

The heat from her cheeks scalded the rest of her face. She was totally embarrassed. "Ummm…uh…no, thank you. I'm…well, I'm going to change right now, anyway…umm…excuse me."

She quickly slid passed him, not looking back and not stopping until she reached her room. A twinge of guilt crept into Cye as he watched her go. Her hasty retreat must have been because of something he had done, he thought. That didn't rest well with him. He mulled over the situation as he entered the kitchen and started on breakfast.

Nara ducked into her room before being detected by anyone else. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, taking a much-needed rest.

"Well, at least Ryo's not still in here." she thought. She smiled as she remembered the way he had carried her to her bed in the scant hours before dawn. Though not fully awake at the time, she still held fast to the misty memory.

After he had set her down upon the softness of her bed, he tucked her in beneath a pile of velvety blankets. Satisfied that she was comfortable, he brushed a stray lock from her face and kissed her softly. Unconsciously, she touched the spot where he had kissed her and imagined that she could still feel its warmth.

After his tender exchange of affection, he and White Blaze left the room. They found their way into the adjacent room that was occupied by the other boys and made their bed in the center of the floor. Nara had discovered them earlier that morning before she left the house for her swim. She had ventured a glance into the boy's room and found the two stretched out across the floor. She quietly tiptoed in and neatly placed a blanket about him. She combed her long fingers through his dark hair, then kissed him as he had kissed her. She gave a kiss to White Blaze, too, and caressed the soft fur under his neck. He growled softly and licked her hand. One of the boys, though she wasn't sure who, began to stir and mumble something in their sleep. Taking that as her cue to leave, she quickly exited the room and then the house.

"I wonder which one of the guys it was." she wondered as she pushed herself from the door. She walked over to her bed and set the tablet on the nightstand that stood near it. "I hope they didn't notice me. I probably shouldn't have been in there. Forbidden territory."

She smiled once more and began removing her damp bathing suit from her cool body. She undressed quickly and selected a thick cotton sweater and a pair of loose-fitted sweatpants from her closet. Finally dressed, she pulled open the door and stepped into the hallway.

"I wonder if Mia's up." she thought. She went to the her sister's room and gently tapped on the door.

"Come in, Nara." Mia called.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked, as she crept in.

"Because none of the boys are actually bold enough to come knocking on my door. They're too shy for that."

"Oh." she replied as she walked over to Mia's bed.

Mia had been up for a while, going over paperwork from the comfort of her bed. Nara joined her, crawling beneath the blankets and resting her head on her lap.

"What are you doing?" Mia asked. "And why is your hair wet?"

Nara was silent.

"Nara, I know you didn't go out swimming this morning!"

"…it was only for a little bit."

"Nara!"

"I had to go, Mia! Suiki…"

"That whale?"

"Orca."

"Whatever. He's a big fish to me."

"MIA?"

"That looks like a cow."

"MIA!"

Mia laughed at her sister's mock fury. "I'm just teasing you, string bean."

"It's not funny, French fry."

Mia chuckled a bit more then spoke again. "Nara, seriously, you know you shouldn't be out in the water at this time of year. It's way too cold and besides that, you have asthma."

"Yeah, but I don't want my asthma to rule my life."

"I'm not saying that it has to. I'm just saying that you should be careful and take care of yourself."

"I know."

"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. You're the only little sister I've got."

Smiling, Nara snuggled next to her sister. "I know you love me."

"Such an arrogant sibling I have." Mia chided.

"Well, I was going to say 'I love you, too', but now you can forget it!" Nara pouted.

"Sorry." Mia giggled.

"No, forget it!" Nara said.

"I said I was sorry."

"…do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Well,…okay, then. I forgive you." She threw her arms around her waist and hugged her, tightly.

"Okay! Okay!" Mia pleaded.

Nara loosed her grasp on her sister then noticed the papers in her hand. "What's that?" she asked.

"Just some papers." Mia said, setting them aside. She sighed and placed her hand atop Nara's head. "Anyway, you need to get your school supplies, today, right?"

"Oh yeah. I forgot about the sale at the art store today."

"I knew you would." she said, stroking Nara's dark hair. "Do you want to have the girls come along and make it an outing?"

"Yeah! And the guys could come too and make it a blast."

"A blast?"

"Yeah. And, of course, we'd all be getting…acquainted with each other, too."

"Of course."

"Oh come on, Mia! They're only going to be living with us. The least I should be able to do is call them by name."

Mia laughed. "Nara, I don't have any objections with the boys coming along. It's just that I don't know how we're all going to travel in my little jeep."

"Oh yeah. Well, we can sit on people's laps. I could sit on Ryo's lap and-…"

"Speaking of Ryo. What were you two doing last night?"

"Hunh?"

"When I came in to check on you, I found the two of you sprawled across the floor in each other's arms. Explain."

"…uh,..well you see…it's like this: by a miraculous coincidence, Ryo and I grew up together in the same orphanage when we were kids. We were really close then and,…well…we just sorta picked up where we left off. That's all!"

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth! You have to believe it!"

Mia smiled and giggled at her worried younger sibling. "Oh, Nara. There was a time when you had a sense of humor."

"Yeah, then I met you and it suddenly vanished."

"Hey!"

"…just teasing you, Mia!"

"Mmmmhmmm…You'd better go and call the girls before I suddenly change my mind."

"I'm going, I'm going…" she replied, as she crawled off of the bed and out of the room. Once she had left the room, Mia retrieved the papers that she had set aside. She looked over them once more, still not believing what they had said. She shook her head, trying to convince herself that is wasn't true, but it made too much sense. How could it not be true? And how could she have not seen it before? She sighed, heavily as she removed herself from the bed. She walked over to the safe that had previously held the documents. She placed them in the safe confines and reset the combination.

"Oh, Grandfather." she thought. "Why didn't you say something before now?"

----

"We look like a bunch of roaches in a drainpipe." Yuriko complained, from atop Rowen's lap.

"Speak for yourself!" Ami said, from atop Kento's lap. "I am not an insect."

Slowly and with a mischievous grin, Yuriko turned to face Ami as she replied, "You could have fooled me."

"You know what-…" Ami began, as she reached to the opposite side of the back seat and pulled Yuriko over.

"LET ME GO, AMAZON!" Yuriko shouted.

"Call me that again and I'll show you how much of an Amazon I can be!" she replied.

"Will you two stop fighting over my lap, PLEASE?" Nara yelled, from atop Ryo's lap.

"GET OFF ME!" Kristal shouted, from atop Cye's lap.

"LADIES! This is a car NOT a playground!" Mia shouted from the driver's seat.

"Who's playing?" Nara asked.

"That's Yas and Ami!" Kristal added.

"You two will say anything to save your own skin, won't you?" Yuriko asked.

"Yas…don't make me drown you." Nara replied.

Ami and Kristal chuckled a bit as Yuriko merely stared at Nara, not the least bit intimidated by her empty threat.

"Isn't she vicious?" she asked Rowen, as she turned to face him. "Heart like a viper, I tell you!"

Rowen smiled, not really knowing how to respond to her comment. Yuriko studied his face for a moment then asked, "Where are you from?"

Rowen shot her an odd expression, then replied, "Well, I was born in Osaka."

"…yeah, okay, but,…where are you REALLY from?"

Smiling brightly, he replied, "How could you tell?"

"Well I have an uncanny sixth sense…but other than that, you speak with an accent. And you pronounce certain words oddly. …so does he." she added, gesturing to Cye.

Rowen smiled. "Okay, ya got me. I was born in Japan but I wasn't raised here. My mom's a journalist so we never really stayed put in any place for long. I've been all over the world, but I can't say that I'm 'from' anywhere."

"That's so sad." Kristal said. "You don't have anyplace that you can even consider home?"

"Well, being here with you guys certainly feels like home."

Kristal smiled. "Oh…that's so sweet."

"Yeah, thanks for saying so, Rowen." Kento said.

"Well, it's the way I feel." Rowen said, plainly.

"So…you've been all around the world." Yuriko began, again. "What place did you like the best?"

Rowen considered her question for a moment. He had traveled the world over in the short fifteen years of his existence. There were so many places that he loved and would like to visit again, but he had his fondest and most memorable moments in…

"New York." he finally said.

"WOAH!" the girls exclaimed at once.

"We were just there!" one said.

"What part of New York are you from?" another asked.

"Are you from the city? Can you speak English?" one more wanted to know.

"Have you ever been shot?"

All eyes turned to the one who asked the blunt question.

"Yas!" Nara, Kristal, and Ami shouted.

"WHAT!" she retorted. "New York is a dangerous place." She grabbed Rowen's head and squeezed it against her bosom. "We should thank our lucky stars that he is here before us, today! Unharmed and with all his limbs intact, no less!"

"T-thank you!" he said, quickly, as he tore himself away from her grip. "Thank you, but New York's really not as bad as people make it out to be. Its bad reputation has been blown drastically out of proportion…and no, I've never been shot."

"…well that's good, Hashiba. I'm glad to hear it." she said, mangling his blue hair. "Okay! Since we started this topic, we might as well roll with it. Where are you from and where have you been? Let's start at the end. Kento…?

"Oh." he began. "Well, I was born in Yokohama."

"…is that all?" Yuriko asked.

He shrugged.

"…Shuu, right?" Nara asked.

"Yeah."

She looked upward, thoughtfully, then asked. "Is that a Chinese name?"

He smiled, proudly, and replied, "Yep."

"Oh, cool! So you're Chinese then."

"Have you ever been to China?" Ami asked.

"Once. When I was a little kid, my dad took me and my little brother to see our family's land in there."

"Little brother?" Ami asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you have any more brothers or sisters?"

"I have too many brothers and sisters."

Ami laughed. "You can never have too many siblings. They are the ones who will always be closest to you. Especially when…" she started, but couldn't find the words to finish her statement. She turned, abruptly, facing the front of the car. "Never mind." she said softly.

The other girls exchanged disturbed glances amongst themselves in the tense silence that followed.

"Uh…Ryo," Ami began, interrupting the deafening quiet that she had created. "Where are you from?"

"Oh…ummm…well, I was born in Yamanashi. But, unlike Kento and Rowen, I've never so much as been off this island."

"Same here." Yuriko said.

"What about New York?" Kristal asked.

"That doesn't count. It was too recent and besides, it was purely academic."

"Purely academic?" Kristal repeated.

"Yep. Totally invalid."

Kristal stared, blankly, at her for a moment. "…o-kay…" she managed. She turned to Cye. "Anyway,…so what about you?"

"I was born in Yamaguchi." he replied.

"Wow! All the way down there?" Yuriko asked.

"Mmmhmm…"

"And have you ever been 'off this island'?"

"Yes, actually. I spent most of my childhood going back and forth from Japan and England."

"I knew it! I could tell from that light-brown hair and those big eyes of yours. So, you're English, then?"

He smiled and nodded his head.

"Why did you travel back and forth so much?"

"That's a personal question, Yas." Nara said. "What, are you sizing him up to snag him as your man?"

Cye blushed and Yuriko smiled, wickedly.

"Yuriko Mouri." she said. "Yuriko Mouri. Yuriko…Hashiba! Oh! I like the sound of that!" she said, grabbing Rowen's head once again and crushing him against her. Rowen blushed, furiously, as he tried to pry himself from Yuriko's clutches. She released him from her hold, laughing at the exasperated expression he help upon his face.

"Don't worry, Blue Boy." she said, patting his head. "I'm not after you. I'm just messing with your head."

"Sure." he replied, dryly, as he straightened his headband.

Nara, Ryo, Cye, and Kristal tried to conceal their laughter, but were unsuccessful in doing so. Even Mia and Sage, who occupied the front passenger seat, had to smile at the whole ordeal.

"Yas, stop tormenting poor Rowen like that." Mia said.

Yuriko let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Alright, alright!" She then turned her attention back to Cye. "So, why did you go back and forth to England?"

"And we're back to the interrogation, again." Nara said.

"Whatever." Yuriko replied. "I-…WAIT A MINUTE! Why do you keep defending him, Nara?"

"Huh?"

"Of course! It all makes sense, now. 'Are you sizing him up to be your man?' NOT EVEN! You were just saying that because you didn't want everyone to realize that YOU want him!"

"I…what!" Nara asked, in disbelief.

Yuriko nodded. "It's true! Think about it! Nara Mouri! Now THAT has a nice ring to it! Or we could just do the English thing and call you Lady Mouri…whichever you prefer."

Nara opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't seem to locate the words to convey what was on her mind. Cye was red from ear to ear, head to toe. Ami, who had been mute up to this point, smiled and giggled softly. Though he couldn't explain just why, Kento felt an incredible sense of relief as Ami was pulled out of her dreary mood. He saw her smile and smiled one of his own.

"HAVE YOU LOST ALL YOUR COMMON SENSE, WOMAN!" Nara shouted, finally finding her vocabulary. "I'VE NOT EVEN KNOWN HIM FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT I HAVE ROMANTIC INCLINATIONS TOWARD HIM! ARE YOU MAD! I'M NOT THAT KINDA GIRL YOU EVIL SEA DRAGON!"

Yuriko and Kristal fell over with laughter. Ami and Mia giggled softly, while Kento, Ryo, Rowen, and Sage chuckled and snickered at the condition of their color changed friend.

"Oh gosh!" Nara suddenly exclaimed. "That's not to say that I don't like you, Cye! I do…I mean,…as a person…I mean…"

"Oh! I-…I understand, completely! Really!" he said, hastily. "You don't have to…you know…explain…ummm…anything."

Amidst the laughing and snickering forms, Nara and Cye were the only ones who did not find any humor in the predicament. They sat, quietly; one twiddling her thumbs while the other tried to massage the redness from his cheeks.

"This is the longest trip, ever." Nara muttered.

"You can say that again." Cye mumbled.

They both sighed and sank heavily into their seats, praying that they would reach their destination quickly or be permitted to die from their own embarrassment.

-----

"We're here." Mia said, turning off the engine.

"Good, it's about time!" Nara said, sourly. "Please let me out."

"So eager to get out, Nara?" Yuriko started. "That's odd. I would have thought that you would be enjoying such quality and intimate time with-…"

"If you value your life you will not finish that thought and you will never EVER mention this again! Got it!" Nara said, sharply.

Smiling, slyly, Yuriko opened the door and let herself out. "Come on, Blue." she called to Rowen. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."

Rowen crawled out of the car followed by Kristal and Cye. On the other side, Ami, Kento, Nara, and Ryo made their way out. Mia and Sage had already escaped from the vehicle's confines and were gathered with the others behind it.

"The gang's all here. Can we go now?" Nara asked.

"Nara, are you going to be bitter all afternoon?" Mia asked.

Nara looked over her shoulder at Yuriko. She had a devilish grin on her face and clearly on the brink of laughter. Returning her attention to her sister, Nara replied, "As long as the dark cloud of annoyance looms over me, yes, I will."

"Aawww, come on, Nara." Yuriko said, jumping onto Nara's back. "Loosen up, babe!"

"GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!" Nara yelled.

With impish laughter, Yuriko jumped off Nara's back and headed toward the building.

"YOU LITTLE TROLL!" Nara shouted and dashed after her.

"WAIT FOR US!" Kristal and Ami called, as they hurried off after the two, leaving Mia and the boys behind.

Giggling, Mia turned to Sage and said, "Never a dull moment, right?"

"Right." he replied. "Hmm…" he murmured, as something touched his spirit. He turned to face the end of the parking lot, searching, as he had before, for the entity that had disturbed his soul. "Where are you?" he thought. "I know you're there. I can feel your dark energy. Come on, show yourself!"

"Hey Sage?" Rowen called. "Let's go!"

"Huh?" Sage murmured, as he turned to see the group heading toward the building. He turned back to where he had sensed the negative energy. Gone. The dark force, was gone.

"Not again." he thought. "Where did you go? And just what are you?"

Still unsettled and disturbed by the reappearance of the entity, Sage, reluctantly, hurried to catch up with the group. Unknown to him was that he was still under watch. High, high, above the scene below, floating in the sky above, a dark figure watched as the young troopers and their companions entered the building.

"That boy…" the shrouded figure thought, referring to Sage. "…that boy…"

----

Asahi's Shopping Center was the largest mall in Japan and one of the largest in the world. It housed a variety of shopping facilities including clothing and department stores, souvenir shops, a food court, and of course, the art store.

"Okay, what's on the list?" Yuriko asked Kristal, as she leaned over her shoulder, reviewing the material list that she held.

"2H, 4H, 6H, and HB pencils." she replied.

"I'm on it!" Yuriko said. She grabbed a basket and set off to locate the items assigned to her. "C'mon, Blue. You're with me."

Without giving him a chance to resist, she grabbed Rowen's arm and dragged him along with her.

"She has the decency of a cat in heat." Nara stated. "Anyway, what should I find?"

"Umm…animation peg bars?" Kristal said, with uncertainty.

"What's that?" Nara asked.

"I don't know. I think you're gonna have to ask one of the floor girls on this one."

"Yeah, I guess. Let me go find out."

"Okay."

"I'll go with you, Nara." Ryo said, walking alongside her.

"You know, I shouldn't even be talking to you." Nara said, after a while.

"Why not?" Ryo asked.

"Because you didn't even stick up for me for me when everyone was ragging on me earlier."

"It's kinda hard to stick up for someone when you're busy laughing."

Nara made a sound that wasn't discernable and elbowed him in his side.

"OW! I was just kidding." he said, nursing his injury.

"Well that's what you get for being mean to me." she retorted. "Umm…excuse me, Miss?" she called to a woman standing behind a counter.

"Yes?" the woman replied.

"Hi. …Kasumi?" Nara asked, reading the girl's nametag.

"That's right."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." the woman, Kasumi, replied, blushing slightly.

Nara smiled. "Oh! Can you help me find something called an animation peg bar?"

"Sure." She turned away from the two, briefly, and examined the store's inventory list. "Okay, it's in aisle three. Come on, I'll take you there."

She stepped out from behind the counter and escorted Nara and Ryo to the appropriate aisle. She skimmed the supplies in the section, quickly locating the coveted item.

"Here it is." she announced, handing Nara one of the peg bars from a box that sat on one of the many shelves.

"Thank you." Nara replied, accepting the item. "Oh wow! I know what this is, now! It's the thing you put your animation paper on when your doing your animations."

"Why do you need that?" Ryo asked.

"Well, when you animate something, the drawings have to be aligned so that you can trace them accurately." Nara said. "These three protruding tabs," she continued, indicating each tab with her fingertip, "…keep the paper in its proper alignment. It's kind of like a three ring binder."

"Oh, I see. I guess that makes sense." Ryo said.

Nara giggled and mangled his raven hair. "Silly." she teased. "Oh, Miss Kasumi? May I have two more, please?"

"Sure. And please, plain old Kasumi is just fine."

"Oh, okay, M-…I mean…Kasumi." Nara corrected.

Kasumi smiled and giggled softly. "You seem like a polite girl. And you seem to know a lot about art supplies. Perhaps you'd like to work here. We're hiring."

Nara's features were aglow with a mixture of joy and excitement. "Oh yes, Miss Kasumi! I'd love to work here!" she replied, hoping that she didn't come off as being too eager. But, Kasumi's warm and friendly smile quickly dismissed that notion from her mind.

"Well, I'm glad that you want to join the team." she replied, her welcoming smile still adorning her placid features. "There are two managers here. They own the store so you'll have to speak with them before you can be hired."

"Okay."

"Great."

Kasumi glanced around the shop, her eyes settling on a brown-haired girl who was finishing up at the register. "AYLA!" she called.

The girl, Ayla, looked up from the register at Kasumi and replied, "WHAT DO YOU WANT!"

"I want you to come over here and review this potential employee!" Kasumi replied, through gritted teeth.

Ayla simply grinned at her as she slowly closed the register and walked over to the group.

"So what's up?" she asked, finally reaching them.

Kasumi sighed then introduced her to Nara. "This is Nara. She's the potential employee."

"Okay." Ayla said, then turned to Nara. "Well, Nara. Do you have any experience in retail?"

"Umm…no." Nara replied, sheepishly.

"Have you ever worked in a stress-related environment?

"Does school count?"

Ayla smiled. "I'll buy that. So, who was your previous employer?"

"My mom and dad."

"Woah! They own a business?"

"No. I got an allowance for doing various chores in the house and around the yard."

Ayla laughed. "I like you, Nara." she said, still laughing. "You have a quick mind and a sense of humor…not to mention a cool name." she added, winking at her. Nara smiled a hopeful, beaming smile. "So, what say you, Kasumi? Should we hire her?"

"I think so." Kasumi replied. "I just need your O.K. on the prospect to make it final."

Nara blinked in surprise and revelation. "Miss Kasumi, are you the other manager?" she asked.

Kasumi smiled. "Yes I am. I just don't let applicants know that while considering them for hire; this way, more of their true nature and personality shows through."

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Ayla said, with a grin that stretched from cheek to cheek. "Did she just call you…Miss Kasumi?"

"Ugh…" Jessie groaned.

A squeal of delight escaped from Ayla's throat. "Nara, girl, you are hired! We're gonna enjoy having you around, aren't we…Miss Kasumi?"

Kasumi only glared at her partner.

"Heeheehee…!" Ayla giggled. "Oh, Nara? When can you start?"

"Whenever you all want, I guess." Nara answered.

"Good answer." Ayla said. "Very good." She glanced over at Ryo who was still standing at Nara's side. "What about you, tall dark and handsome? Do you want a job, too?" she asked, winking at him.

"Even if he did, he couldn't get it here because what you just did is considered sexual harassment!" Kasumi stated, plainly.

"That wasn't sexual harassment! That was stating the obvious!"

Kasumi glared at her saucy co-worker.

"Nara, you agree with me, right?" Ayla asked. "Isn't he handsome?"

Nara's eyes widened at the bluntness and nature of Ayla's inquiry. "Uhh…" she muttered. "He is…very handsome…" she added, suddenly becoming interested with the peg bars in her hand. Ryo smiled, his cheeks taking on a rosy tint.

"You see!" Ayla said to Kasumi. "It's a fact. The boy is good looking."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes at her and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, alright!" Ayla exclaimed. "Don't blow a fuse…Miss Kasumi!" she concluded with a wicked grin upon her face.

Kasumi groaned at the unwanted pet name while Ayla continued. "Besides" she began. "I wouldn't want to put Nara and her boyfriend in a compromising situation, having them in the same workplace environment and all."

Nara and Ryo stared at each other for a moment, as they searched the other's expression to find the words to explain their relationship.

"Oh…you see, we…umm…" Nara began.

"What she means is…umm…well we…" he added.

"We're just good friends!" Nara finished.

"Yeah!" he agreed.

"Oh, is that so?" Ayla asked, sauntering over to the two. "Excuse me, Nara." she said, bumping her aside with her hip. She wound her arms around Ryo's and began leading him down the aisle.

"AYLA!" Kasumi hissed, her arms crossed above her chest.

"WHAT!" she replied, stopping in her tracks and turning to her. "You said that we couldn't have him as an employee! That means he's fair game."

Kasumi began tapping her foot in irritation. She narrowed her gaze at her partner and inhaled sharply, attempting to elicit a response from her sexy counterpart.

"ALRIGHT ALREADY!" Ayla exclaimed. "You know I hate it when you give me THAT look! Geez! She never lets me have any fun!" she whispered to Ryo as she brought him back to the two awaiting girls. He blushed, slightly, and offered a polite smile as his response.

"Here, Nara." Ayla said, loosing herself from Ryo's arm and attaching Nara to him in her place. Surprised, Nara looked up at him, then at his arm that she had somehow become latched onto, then finally at Ayla and Kasumi.

"Oh, how cute you both look! What a Kodak moment!" Ayla said.

Nara's temperature rose a couple of degrees and Ryo was sure that his had, too. They looked at each other, briefly, then returned their eyes to the two managers. Ayla was all smiles while Kasumi was somewhat less than joyous.

"Anyway," Ayla began, as she scribbled something onto a sheet of paper. "This is the number to the store. Give us a call and we'll schedule a day when you can fill out paperwork and such, okay?"

"Okay." Nara said, taking the sheet of paper from her. "Thank you."

"No problem. And you…" she said to Ryo. "This is my number and you can call me anytime so we can g-…" she started, but was cut-off as Kasumi grabbed a handful of Ayla's brown hair and began dragging her off.

"Nara, I look forward to having you as a member of our staff." Kasumi said, as she dragged Ayla away.

"Yeah, me too!" Ayla added, as she continued to be dragged away by her co-worker. "WILL YOU LET GO OF ME!" she demanded.

"Thank you!" Nara called. "Oh wow, Ryo! Can you believe it? My first job! My first real job!" she exclaimed, tightening her grip on Ryo's arm. He laughed at her elation as he walked with her to rejoin the rest of the group.

"You've never worked before?" he asked.

"Well not a REAL job. You know, one that's on the books, I mean."

"I gotcha." he replied. He looked down at his short companion and smiled. "Hey, Nara. I thought you said that I wasn't cute."

"Huh?" she asked.

"Well, last night you said that you didn't recognize me because I wasn't cute anymore. But just then, you said that I was. So…which is it?" he asked, with an inquisitive grin.

"Well, first of all…" she began, with a grin of her own. "I didn't say that you were cute, I said that you were handsome…there's a difference. Secondly, you are handsome, but I don't think you needed me to tell you that. Thirdly…well, I don't have a thirdly,…but you know what I mean!"

He chuckled, covering his laughter with his hand. "Yeah, Nara. I know what you mean. …thanks. And just for the record…" he began, leaning closer to her. "I think you're beautiful." he concluded, kissing her cheek as he ended the statement. She felt the heat of his kiss spread from her cheek to her face and finally throughout the rest of her body. She smiled, shyly, and looked down at her feet.

"You know, that's the second time you've kissed me like that since I've seen you, Ryo." She said, not much louder than a whisper.

His smile softened, as he remembered the last time he shared a sweet kiss with his beloved friend of his youth. "I didn't know that you were awake for that." he said, softly.

"Would it have mattered?"

"Maybe…but I had to do it."

"Had to? Why?"

"I had to make sure that I wasn't still dreaming."

She stopped, causing him to stop as well. "What?" she asked.

He turned to look at her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "Nara,…I've missed you more than you could ever know. I know it must sound corny, but a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought of you. You were my best friend;…you were my only friend. When I was little I always told myself that someday, I would find you again. I never gave up hope and I never stopped hoping. But, when I actually saw you come running down the stairs yesterday, I just couldn't let myself believe that it was really you. So many nights I had dreamed you into my life that this seemed like just another wonderful dream. Even when I held you in the moonlight, just as we had done when we were younger, I was afraid to believe that my dream had come true. I had to convince myself that you were here and real and that you weren't just a part of my imagination." He touched her cheek, lightly. "I'm glad that I can stop dreaming, Nara. I finally found you. You've really come back to me."

She wasn't ready for a confession of that magnitude. No words could have ever prepared her for what he just disclosed to her. Though, she couldn't understand why, for she, too, shared his dream. The dream of being reunited with her long lost friend of her childhood. How she had longed to see his azure eyes and bright, boyish smile once again. To hear his playful laughter and wipe away his tears. She wanted to say what was on her mind and within her heart, but she couldn't gather the words to relate her feelings. However, there were many ways to say what one felt.

With tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around him holding him close. It was a simple act, though one that she hadn't been able to do before now. Tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the sleeve of her sweater, sniffling a bit.

"I thought I had shed all my tears for you." she whispered.

He shook his head. "Those aren't for me, Nara." he said, wrapping his arms around her. "…those aren't for me."


End file.
